The Lorelei Chronicles: Return of the Dream Lord
by Thewhovianwerewolf
Summary: When Lorelei makes a huge mistake, she finds herself fighting an old enemy to make up for it.


Visiting the Doctor after his regeneration is never an easy task. I always worry that he won't like me for some reason. He always tells me that an idea like that is ridiculous. I'm one of his oldest companions. How could he stop liking me? I always believed him. Until today, that is.

The Doctor and Clara had just finished dealing with the motorway monster when I came along. I was nervous as all get out. I like being mysterious when dealing with a new regeneration, so I entered the TARDIS silently and invisibly. The Doctor was messing with the control panel, and I snuck up behind him.

"Man, when Clara said you were grey, she wasn't kidding". He slowly lifted his head, and I could tell that he was smiling, at least a little. When he turned around, he was smiling, but it was different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was just… wrong with it. Still, I kept teasing him.

"Those eyebrows… I feel like you're staring into my soul". He chuckled a little, and turned back to the panel. That's when Clara came in.

"Hey, where have you been?", she said teasingly. "Oh you know, out and about", I said in a Scottish accent. She and I giggled, but the Doctor took no heed.

"Just so you know, I had to redo the TARDIS when it crashed. Your bedroom might have changed style or location", he finally spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"Don't worry, I'll find it", I assured him, and off I went to search for it.

Two hours later…

I had found my room, and it hadn't changed a bit since I'd left. After setting my things down, I strolled into the main room, where the Doctor was still fiddling with the controls, except this time he was underneath them.

"So what's new? Anything changed since I left?". "Ha ha", he said sarcastically. I could tell he wasn't amused. I frowned slightly, but I didn't let him see.

"What are you working on?". He slid out from under the panel.

"Trying to make the TARDIS more stable, more controllable. It's going to take a while", he explained.

"Do you want to take a break?", I suggested. He shook his head no and slid back under. He was sweating and panting. I could tell he was overworking himself, even if he had too much pride to admit it. Luckily, I knew just the thing to help him relax. I took a bottle of chocolate sauce out of my bag. This was a trick he had played on me a long time ago, back when he was his fourth self. I took the cap off and screwed the bottle onto a hole on the panel he was working under. I gave the bottle two quick taps, just enough that a few drops would squeeze out.

"Damn…", he muttered. "What's the matter?".

"Oil leak, I think. Hold on". Again, I tapped the bottle. More drops came out.

"Ah! I found the source! Hand me that spanner, will you?". Instead of handing him the wrench that was resting nearby, I pounded on the bottle, sending half the contents gushing out.

"Agh!", the Doctor cried, flailing as he was covered in gooey chocolate. He slid out, his face all different shades of red with brown splotches. The first thing he saw was me and my big grin. He just stared at me for a good 5 second before noticing the bottle on the panel.

"Chocolate sauce?! Are you serious?!", he yelled. My face fell. I had expected him to laugh, like he had so many times before at my tricks. After all, he was the one who taught me the trick in the first place. But he was furious.

"I… I thought you were stressed so…", I stammered. "I told you this was important and now I have to waste time cleaning up! What were you thinking?", he shouted. He pulled the bottle off the panel and threw it across the room. I was scared now. He was really mad now; I didn't want him to hurt me. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Look, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a joking man anymore". I swallowed hard, blinking back tears.

"Believe me", I said coldly.

"I've noticed".

I ran out of the room, down the hall to where my bedroom was. I bumped into Clara on the way, who noticed my tears. I didn't really care, so I just kept running. I flopped onto my bed, tired and afraid. The Doctor had never lashed out like that. He had always told me that there was no way he could stop liking me, but even he's wrong sometimes. I kept thinking about his smile and what was different about it. Only now did I finally figure it out. It wasn't the warm, kind smile that he'd had all those other times. This smile was cold and cynical. It reminded me of the Master, in a way. The sweet, loving man I once knew was gone. It was the worst feeling in the world. I couldn't help myself. I collapsed onto the bed face first, sobbing. Clara must have heard me, because she came in all worried.

"Hey, hey what's the matter?", she said kindly. I wiped my eyes and sat up. I hate when people see me cry. It makes me feel weak. Nevertheless, I explained the problem to her while she listened intently. When I was done, she laughed slightly and stroked my hair.

"It's just… I don't know him anymore", I sniffled.

"Believe me, I know the feeling. But I promise you he's still there. It's just hidden. Like he's wearing armor. Here, how about I talk to him, see if we can't get this cleared up, eh?". I nodded slowly, but in my head I was thinking that she wouldn't be able to heal this wound. She walked out of the room and turned to go to the control room. I fell back onto the bed, wishing that this whole thing was a nightmare. Suddenly I heard a piercing scream come from the control room. It was Clara. Instantly I thought of the Doctor getting angry and hurting her. I ran out of the room, transforming into a wolf on the way down the hall. I growled and braced myself for combat. But what I found, I couldn't have prepared for in a million years.

I lept into the control room, prepared for a fight. I saw Clara on the floor, not moving.

 _Oh my God, what has he done?,_ I thought. I bared my teeth, furious as hell. But then, on the other side of the control, I saw the Doctor, lying face down, not moving. I stopped growling. Were they dead? No, they were both breathing. Then I heard a voice.

"Well, well. Guard dog? That's new". My heart stopped. I recognized the voice. Thought I tried to hide it, I started shivering and whimpering like all scared dogs.

"Hmm, what does a dog fear? Lightning? A cruel master? Oh what the hell, I'll do it all". I turned around to face the perpetrator. I recognized him even though he looked different. Well, different as in different clothes. He had the same minimalist/magician look as the Doctor. But his face, with the ginger hair and the beady eyes. It was the Dream Lord, no doubt about it. I couldn't maintain my image any longer. I changed back into my human form. He chuckled as I did. It was a sick, twisted laugh; the worst sound in the universe.

"I know about you. Lorelei Roe, the human TARDIS. At least that's what he calls you in his head".

"And I know about you. The Dream Lord, the dark side of the Doctor's mind", I said to him through gritted teeth.

"Now, I have no idea what you did to them, but so help me if you hurt one hair on their heads, I will end you", I threatened. He just laughed that horrible laugh.

"Oh sweetheart, you can't 'end me'. I'm not real. Just a figure of the Doctor's twisted imagination".

"That's not true. You only came about the last time because of psychic pollen. So if I remove the pollen, you disappear".

"Oh so close, yet so far. You see, living inside the Doctor's brain has given me his intellect as well as his personality. Don't you think I'd have thought of you removing the pollen?". I gulped. Rescuing my friends was going to be harder than I thought.

"The pollen isn't in this room, you see, or even in this world. This is a dream, my dear. Or a nightmare, I suppose, depending on your point of view".

"Look, just tell me what you did to them. Please!", I begged.

"Oh it's quite simple my dear. They're asleep, trapped in their own personal nightmares. Very realistic nightmares, if I do say so myself. And pretty soon, they'll be so scared and exhausted, they either wake up insane or die". I just stood there, processing what he had just said.

"So… you're literally scaring them to death", I said slowly.

"That's one way to put it, I suppose", he said casually. I was horrified. My friends were dying and I couldn't save them. So I did the only thing I could do in a situation like that. "You want to see fear? I'll show you fear!", I screamed. I turned into a dragon, twenty feet high. I blazed fire at the Dream Lord, missing his head by an inch. But he didn't even flinch. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Oh well done, jolly good! You seem to love your powers so much. They must help you a lot. What would happen if they disappeared, hmm?". Just like that, he snapped his fingers, and the room vanished. I was plunged into darkness.

I awoke to the sound of someone talking. _I must have passed out,_ I thought. What I saw first was the Doctor and Clara, alive and awake. I grinned. The whole thing must have been a horrible dream. If the Dream Lord had ever come to the TARDIS, the Doctor had sorted him out.

"Hey what's up Doc?", I joked, my voice coming out in a whisper. He didn't say anything, just pulled me up on my feet.

"Sorry about the chocolate sauce. I won't do it again if you don't want me to", I apologized. He shot me a confused look.

"What are you talking about?". It took me a second, but that statement made me realize that the whole chocolate incident must have been a dream.

"Um, never mind. I'm not fully awake yet", I giggled. Suddenly there was a huge **bang** , and one of the six sides of the control panel started smoking.

"Oh what the hell…", the Doctor mumbled. He went over inspecting to inspect it. Then another **bang** , and another side exploded.

"Damn! Lorelei, what did you do?", he snapped at me. I was shocked.

"What on Earth could I possibly have to do with this?", I questioned.

"Oh don't play innocent! You probably messed with the circuits somehow". When he said that, another **bang**. Then two, three, five; suddenly, every machine in the room was exploding.

"What the hell did you do?!", he screamed.

"I didn't do anything! I swear!", I tried to tell him, but it was as if he couldn't hear me.

"I can't believe I let you stay with me for so long. I should've thrown you out when I had the chance", he shouted bitterly.

"Better yet, I never should have let you come aboard in the first place". It was like our fight all over again. And things got weirder from there. The control room almost seemed to melt away, and pretty soon it was gone. We were standing in a lush green field. And Clara was there! But she didn't look like her normal kind self.

"Look at you. Why do you cause the Doctor so much trouble?", she asked. I tried to answer but no words came out.

"I mean look at me. I jumped into the Doctor's timeline to save him. I risked my life for him! And what have you done? Nothing. You just pop in and out of his life, coming and going whenever you please. Like an annoying little mosquito. You've done nothing for him". I was on the verge of tears after hearing this, mostly because it was true. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Amy and Rory Pond appeared next to her.

"I waited fourteen years to travel with him. Fourteen years. And you never have to wait a second", Amy growled. Then Rory stepped up, eager to give me a piece of his mind.

"Forget fourteen years. Try 2000. 2000 years guarding a box, making sure it was never damaged. **_Have you ever done anything like that?_** ". Pretty soon, all the Doctor's companions, every one of them from the very beginning, surrounded me, telling about the sacrifices they had made to join the Doctor, and about all the times they had saved him. Rose screamed about being trapped in another dimension forever. Martha reminded me of her year-long journey across the world. Donna yelled to me about saving all of reality. And all of them reminded me how worthless I was, how I'd never done anything to save anyone. I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to fly away, but for the first time in my life, I couldn't. I couldn't transform or become invisible. For the first time, I was normal. And I hated it. I curled up into a ball, sobbing. A hand grabbed me and forced me onto my back. It was the Doctor.

"Well, what do you think? Should I get in the TARDIS and fly away right now? Without you? Believe me, no one would miss you, he taunted. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to die, just so I wouldn't have to hear anyone again. I opened my eyes, and the Doctor had that cynical grin on his face. Suddenly, a thought entered my head. When I looked at the Doctor's face, all I could think about was him covered in chocolate sauce. I snickered, just a little. But soon a little turned into a lot. Everyone looked confused, angry, and frightened.

"Stop laughing! Why are you laughing?!", the Doctor screamed. I didn't stop. I pictured how stupid he looked all brown and red. Then, the green field faded away. Before I knew it, I was back in the TARDIS control room, the Dream Lord standing next to me. He was clapping, slowly.

"Well done, my dear. Well done! One down, two to go".

"You're talking about… Clara and the Doctor?", I asked him.

"Of course. Who else would I mean? Although, now that you're safe, there's no reason you couldn't leave them…".

"No chance in hell", I growled. He frowned. "Thought so. Too much of a conscience", he mumbled.

"Well, if you really want to, I think you should do the girl next". I took a deep breath and shut my eyes tight. To see Clara's dream, I had to mentally link with her. It was no problem for a psychic like me. It only took a second before my surroundings changed and Clara stood in front of me. We were in the TARDIS control room. But even though I was happy to see her alive, I wasn't happy about what was happening in the rest of the scene. Clara was alive and moving, but she was huddled over a body. **My** body, cold and still. And the Doctor stood above her, eyes darting from her to me. The body of me, I mean. Because it was a psychic link, I could choose whether or not to let people see me. And at this moment, I decided visibility was not in my best interest. I focused all my energy at maintaining the image of the room, and the people in it. Clara was sobbing, so I figured I must be dead, at least in her mind. Was that really her biggest fear?

"Doctor… oh my god. How could you let this happen?", she cried.

"Clara, I had no choice. You know that", he said coldly. She looked up at him slowly. Her face was red. She clenched her fists and let her face show a look of fury.

"You damn well had a choice! You could've saved her!".

"If I had done that, a whole civilization would have been lost! Ever think about that?", he retorted. Clara didn't say anything for a while. She just weeped silently. Finally, she spoke.

"The man you used to be would have found a way to save _everyone_ ", she said quietly. So that was it. Her biggest fear wasn't my death, it was the thought of the Doctor changing into someone unrecognizable. The Doctor whirled around, his face turning every shade of red.

"You know what? If you don't like me, you don't have to stay here". He snapped his fingers and the TARDIS doors flew opened. But they didn't open to solid ground. We were in the sky. Way up high, too, as far as I could tell. The Doctor grabbed Clara roughly by the arms.

"What are you doing?!", she screamed. My eyes widened to the size of saucers. He was going to throw her out at 20,000 feet! I had to act. But visibility would get me thrown out as well. I had to figure out some way to talk to only Clara. I made myself invisible and crawled over to where the Doctor was dragging her. She struggled to hold on to something, _anything_ , to keep herself inside. But she was no match for the Doctor. There was nothing I could do to keep her from falling out the door. It was part of her nightmare. But I did know a way to contact Clara. I had to strike up a psychic link. Normally no problem for me, but the amount of chemicals rushing through her brain would make a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, I shut my eyes and focused. An image of Clara's brain entered my head.

"Clara… Clara? Can you hear me?". No response at first. I wondered if she had heard me. Finally, she spoke.

"Lorelei? Is that you? But… you're dead! Oh my god, I'm going insane".

"Clara, you're not insane. It's really me. I can't explain now but you have to do everything I say. Alright?", I asked her, even though we both knew that I wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Um… okay, whatever you say".

"Okay, this is going to seem really weird, but I need you to think of something really funny. Anything at all".

"What?! I'm falling out of the TARDIS! This isn't a time for laughing!", she yelled.

"Clara I'm serious! If you don't want to die, you need to laugh!", I insisted. She sighed.

"Um… alright…". I could tell she was struggling. Understandable, considering the circumstances. "I know! Remember when the Doctor shaved his head? What do you think he was thinking?", I said trying to help her along. And it worked too; a small smile crept across her face. "Maybe he was trying to keep his eyebrows from feeling bad", she giggled. "What are you laughing at?", growled the dream Doctor.

"Let's see you laugh now…". And with that, he opened the TARDIS doors while tilting it 45 degrees. Clara screamed, forgetting everything I had just said. She started sliding, begging me to help her up.

"I can't. This is your nightmare. It's impossible to interfere. I'm so sorry", I whimpered. The TARDIS jolted and flung Clara out the doors. I ran after her, sprouting a pair of wings.

"Clara please, if you can feel happy you'll wake up! I swear! Just think of some good memories!", I called to her. She was free-falling, I was flying, and we were both zooming down an endless sky. Literally. I think part of the nightmare was never hitting the ground.

"Um okay, well, I remember my mum pushing me on the swings all those years ago. That's happy I guess".

"Good! More of that!", I pleaded.

"Well, there's this new guy I met, Danny Pink. Maths teacher at the school. We're supposed to get drinks tomorrow. Can't wait for that…". I said nothing, for I knew how that relationship was going to end.

"I remember when the Doctor took me to that planet Akhaten. Oh my god, that little girl singing her song… just brilliant". She smiled. She actually smiled, teeth and all.

"You know, maybe you're right. Maybe this is just a stupid dream. I mean, after all the Doctor has done for you and me, do you really think he'd just up and abandon us?". I shook my head, grinning. Suddenly, everything around me started to melt just as it had before. No longer were we falling through an infinite sky, but feeling the metal floor of the TARDIS beneath our feet.

Or, I was anyways. Clara was still on the ground, eyes shut, exactly the way she was before. I panicked. The Dream Lord was nowhere to be found.

"Oi! You said you would fix her! Liar!", I screamed to the air.

"You don't have to shout", said a voice. I jumped. He had appeared right behind me.

"Mmm, I love that. The fear in your eyes. Just brilliant", he sneered.

"You're sick. You are so sick. You're going to just let her die, and for what? Pleasure?!".

"Relax, relax. She's not dead. Merely asleep. But it's all good dreams for her from now on. All that's left is your precious Doctor. Better hop to it, he doesn't have much time". I growled and bared my teeth at him. I hated him. He was the dark side of the Doctor, the anti-doctor. He was like the Valeyard and the Master combined. But he was right about one thing: the Doctor was running out of time. I closed my eyes and emptied my head. I imagined the inside of the Doctor's head. God knows I would have a hell of a time getting through to him simply because he had a very powerful brain. Human brains were easy to hack; Time Lord brains, not so much. I concentrated. He had given me lessons, once, on how to read minds. It was his sixth incarnation I think.

"Breath in, breath out. Forget your surroundings. There is only you, and your subject". I repeated his words over and over again. And though I had my eyes closed, I knew exactly when my surroundings began to shift. I opened my eyes gently. I was in an official-looking building. I recognized it from somewhere, but its name escaped me. It was dark, but with night-vision I could see at least a little. There were no people around, but it looked as if there should have been many. Chairs were lined up in neat rows, facing one giant chair at the front of the room. Suddenly I heard footsteps. I was of course safe and invisible but for some reason the sound unnerved me. I turned to see the person who had entered. It was the Doctor, looking equally confused as to where he was. "I've been here before…", he mumbled.

"Hello, Doctor", a voice called out. It seemed to come from nowhere.

"Hello? Who's there? Are you invisible? I have a friend who turns invisible sometimes. Although with her I usually use a heat scanner. Speaking of which, where are Clara and Lorelei?". "You're friends are not here. And it's quite possible that they'll never been by your side again". "What are you talking about? Where are they? And as a matter of fact, where are you? I feel like I'm talking to myself". As the Doctor said this, a huge blast of light flooded the room. As my pupils began to shrink, the image of another man came into view. I gasped and covered my mouth. It was the **Valeyard**. I knew I recognized the building from somewhere. This is was the courtroom the Doctor had been forced into when the Time Lords put him on trial. Judging from the Doctor's face, he had come to the same conclusions as me.

"No… not again. Never again. I defeated you once, and I can do it again. But wait, if we're in the same courtroom as last time, then this must be…", he said, trailing off. He was so overcome he couldn't even say the word. _Gallifrey_. This really was a cruel dream. Bringing the Doctor to the planet he loves so much, only to make him face one of his worst enemies once there. The Valeyard stood up.

"I call this court into session! This is a partial trial into the affairs of the Doctor, who is charged with conduct unbecoming of a Time Lord". The Doctor sneered at him.

"Boy you really don't have any new ideas, do you? Hold on, don't you mean impartial?". The Valeyard smiled and raised one gloved hand towards the jury seats. A spotlight shone upon them. Sitting in the seats was something even worse than the Valeyard. It was **every incarnation of the Master**. From Robert Delgado to Missy, there were 10 of them in all. The Doctor frowned.

"Okay, maybe not so impartial. But I still don't understand why I'm here. We got all that 'conduct unbecoming' business finished last time. What conduct are you talking about anyways?".

"The charge is… mass murder", the Valeyard scoffed.

"What?! Of whom?!", the Doctor sputtered.

"The accused wishes to see his victims? Very well". He clapped his hands together, and the room shifted. Everything went dark again, and I realized we were not in a courtroom anymore. But wherever we were, we weren't alone. There were giant glass prisms everywhere, as if we were in a museum. More and more of them spawned in the room. The exact number was so large I couldn't count. I doubt even the Doctor could count the number. I walked up to one. To my shock and horror, there was a _body_ inside. I knew it was just a dream, but I still was scared out of my mind. And it wasn't even my nightmare. There was a small plaque on the prism. I bent down to read it.

"Gene Singer. Solider. Salt Lake City, UT", was all it said. What was this? Were these supposed to be the Doctor's victims? The Doctor had never killed anyone, certainly not in Utah of all places. The only time the Doctor had been near Salt Lake City was that business with the Dalek. That reminded me: how was the Doctor holding up? I ran off to find him. The prism formed a maze, so I had to float in order to find him. I saw him staring at one of the people in the prisms. Still invisible, I landed next to him. I stared at the person he was looking at.

 _Oh my God it's Adric_ , I thought. And it was. The Doctor had his hand on the case. Tears were in his eyes. I knew I had to become visible now, or he would go insane like the Dream Lord said.

"Doctor. Can you see me?", I asked. He whipped around, understandably startled.

"Sorry, I should've warned you. Who are are all these people?". He hung his head. I could tell he didn't want to answer, but still he spoke.

"These are the people I've murdered. Just like the Valeyard said".

"What?! You didn't murder Adric. You've never murdered anyone in your life!".

"I failed to save him. Everyone here is dead because I failed to save them. I might as well have murdered them".

His voice cracked and he grew quiet. I couldn't believe I was hearing this. Did the Doctor actually believe that? Of course he'd never say it out loud, but in his head, did he really feel remorse for every death that had happened over his adventures?

"Doctor, you can't honestly believe that. I mean, when you're going up against the Daleks, or the Cybermen, or even the Nestenes, you have to accept that there'll be casualties. You're not a god, you can't just… magically make everyone you meet immortal", I tried to explain to him. But he was having none of it.

"Shut up, would you?", he said, very annoyed. I noticed a tear coming from his eye. "Sure there has to be casualties, but this many? Admit it Lorelei, I could have saved at least some of these people. The Valeyard is right. I committed mass murder, and now I must serve my punishment". This was bad. The Doctor didn't look terrified on the outside, but that was the norm for him. He kept all his feelings inward, usually, unless they were positive feelings. I knew that inside, he was probably feeling a hurricane of bad emotions. I had to act fast before he was trapped here forever.

"Doctor, listen. I know this sounds really weird and not helpful right now, but you need to think of something funny, _right now_ ". He whipped his head around and stared at me like I had just spoken Swedish.

"Are you… making fun of me?!", he growled. I rubbed my hands on my face, frustrated. I should really just tell the truth. He would understand, right? Or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe that was part of the Dream Lord's sick plan, filling up his victim with so much fear and pain that they become irrational.

"Doctor, I'm not making fun of you, I swear. You have to trust me, okay?".

"Why should I?". That was a good question. I wanted to take a moment to ponder it, but I knew that time was of the essence. In the end, I figured the best thing to do was tell the truth.

"You should trust me because I haven't changed. You once told me that one of the things you liked about me was that no matter how many friends came and went, no matter how many times you regenerated, no matter what happened, I was always a constant factor. I help you keep your life stable. That's what I was trying to do this morning, before this whole fiasco started. I saw you confused, scared, and overworking yourself, and I wanted to remind you that not everything had changed. Looking back, I know it was stupid, or at least ill-timed, and I shouldn't have done it, and I'm sorry, but I was just trying to help. I was worried that the childish, goofy Doctor I used to know was gone. Now I know different, and now I'm trying to help you again, but this time I don't want to screw it up. So please, won't you trust me?". The Doctor stared at me with a broken and confused expression. I think it was the expression of someone who had come to a sudden realization moment, a sort of _Eureka!_ thought. He took another look at the bodies surrounding us. He looked at me.

"Maybe… maybe you're right. I suppose I can't blame myself for everyone's death. After all, if I really was, someone would have put me on trial a long time ago. A proper trial I mean, not the farce that was the 'impartial' trial of the Valeyard".

"Exactly", I replied.

"Now, I wasn't joking when I said you need to think of something funny to get out of here. After all, the Dream Lord feeds on fear". The Doctor raised his ferocious eyebrows.

"The Dream Lord? He's behind this?! Okay, note to self, install a psychic pollen scanner in the TARDIS. After we get out of here, that is. Okay, something funny…". He sat there, puzzling for a moment. Then a huge grin spread over his face.

"Do you remember the time when I had to face off against the Gods of Ragnarok?", he asked me. I nodded; how could I forget? He snickered. "You should've read their minds when I turned that snake into my umbrella. They were **furious** ". I grinned. This was the Doctor I knew. He began to giggle uncontrollably.

"And, that time when I saw the picture of the brigadier in his graduating class? He really should've grown that mustache sooner". Soon, when the Doctor remembered the time he broke the Mad Monk's TARDIS, we were both howling with laughter (Him figuratively, I literally), and the horrible nightmare of the Doctor's subconscious faded away. Finally, all of us were back in the console room, free from the Dream Lord's grasp.

Clara stood up first, stretching and yawning, then the Doctor, then myself, though I didn't feel up to it. I really felt like throwing up, but before I could tell the Doctor, Clara spoke.

"Oh Doctor, did I fall asleep here? That's weird. Last thing I remember I was going to talk to you. Anyways, I had the weirdest dream. It started out like a nightmare but then it turned awesome. Anyways, what have you been doing all this time?". The Doctor just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. What matters now is that I need a break". I needed a break. If I didn't get to a bed soon, I was definitely going to faint right there and then. I dizzily and slowly tried to get to my bedroom. Meanwhile, the Doctor turned to the console and took hold of the time rotor, the rising and falling column in the middle of the console. He opened a little hatch on it, and pulled out some tiny yellow flecks. "What's that?", Clara asked him. He grinned slightly.

"Dust". He snapped his fingers to open the door and blew it all out. That was the last straw for me. I went down like a ton of bricks. The last thing I remembered was involuntarily leaving the TARDIS and returning to my bed in my own universe. I blacked out after that, but not in a fainting way. More like in a collapsing from exhaustion kind of way. As I was asleep, I had my own wonderful dream about a perfect vacation at Disney World. A stay at the Art of Animation Resort, being picked to open the Magic Kingdom, lunch with the Mad Hatter, and other amazing things. Luckily, I awoke only when my in-dream vacation had ended. It had probably been a couple of ours. I could here my dad cooking dinner downstairs. I decided to check back in with the Doctor to make sure everyone was okay. I closed my eyes, focus my thoughts on the TARDIS, and soon, I stood in the library of the TARDIS, where the Doctor was reading _Moby Dick_.

"Hey", I said softly. He looked up.

"Oy, there you are Sleeping Beauty. I was wondering when you'd wake up. All that psychic linking must have worn you out, huh?". I nodded and took a seat next to him. The warm, brown leather was extremely comforting, and I probably would have fallen asleep again if I hadn't pinched myself. There was an urgent question I needed to ask the Doctor.

"So, are you alright? I mean, do you still… blame yourself?". He sighed, but in a way more pensive than annoyed.

"I think maybe a little but, hey, I'll work through it. You know, what you said back there, about me being scared and confused and needing you as the constant in my life…". He paused for a moment, as if unsure of what to say.

"I just want you to know that you were right about all of it. Honestly, you're not the only who is worried about this new regeneration". I shrugged.

"Well, it's a lottery, yeah?", I mimicked. He nodded slowly, with just a bit of a frown showing. Abruptly, he stood up, and moved over to one of the shelves.

"Hey, while you were asleep, I went to your room to see if I need to fix anything. Long story short, it was a mess but I cleaned it up. You're welcome". I grinned.

"Why thank you", I remarked, doing a mock-courtesy. All joking aside, he could tell I was grateful, both for cleaning up my room and for taking a break from fixing the TARDIS. I scampered off to see my room and inspect the quality of the Doctor's work (which, knowing this version of the Doctor, would probably be immaculate). I wasn't disappointed. Soft, white curtains, an orange shag rug with light blue walls, and a red bedspread with green and blue polka dots. It truly was amazing. My top hat was sitting on the bed, clean and free of dust. I decided to put it on before running back to thank the Doctor. But as soon as I did, I heard a familiar click, a sound which meant the hat was about to drop something. I gulped, and my eyes practically widened to the size of dollar coins. I threw off the hat, but not before being completely drenched in **chocolate sauce**. I stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, wondering if this was another of the Doctor's ways of apologizing. Knowing the Doctor, all the Doctors that is, it probably was. I laughed to myself as I headed to the shower, comforted a little by the fact that no matter how many companions come and go, no matter how many time the TARDIS changes, and no matter how many regenerations he goes through, there would always be some constants in the Doctor's life, whether he knew it or not.


End file.
